Functional Role of AsAP in the Reproduction of Adelphocoris suturalis (Hemiptera: Miridae)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Adelphocoris suturalis is a destructive pest that targets > 270 plants, including cotton, maize, soybean and fruit trees, which has caused tremendous crop losses worldwide. Considering the pesticide resistance and safety issues that are caused by chemicals and the readiness of RNAi technology for use in pest control, the identification of a candidate gene for RNAi remains an active area of research that deserves more attention. Reproduction is the basis for the survival of a species and a targeted disruption to this process would efficiently regulate its population; however, this has not yet been extensively investigated in A. suturalis. In this study, we first isolated a putative A. suturalis aspartic protease (AsAP) gene. The role of AsAP in the reproduction of the pest was subsequently illuminated using the dsRNA-mediated knockdown method. The findings expanded our understanding of A. suturalis reproductive development and provided a potential candidate target gene for the development of RNAi-based pest control strategies. ABSTRACT: Adelphocoris suturalis Jakovlev (Hemiptera: Miridae) is an omnivorous agricultural pest that has severe economic impacts on a diverse range of agricultural crops. Although the targeted disruption of reproductive development among insects has been proposed as a novel control strategy for pest species, the current understanding of the physiology and molecular mechanisms of A. suturalis reproduction is very limited. In this study, we isolated a putative A. suturalis aspartic protease (AsAP) gene that is highly expressed in the fat body and ovaries of sexually mature females. The double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated knockdown of AsAP suppressed ovarian development and negatively impacted female fertility, which suggested that it plays an essential role in A. suturalis reproduction. The results of this study could help to expand our understanding of A. suturalis reproductive development and have the potential to facilitate the development of effective strategies for the better control of this pest species.